FDA Action on Dietary Supplements Falls Short

The following is the statement of Bruce Silverglade,
CSPI director of legal affairs:

"The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) proposed rule
establishing quality standards for dietary supplement
manufacturers is a step in the right direction but
falls short of what is needed to protect the public.
Congress has required the FDA to base manufacturing
standards for supplements on those in place for
processed foods, instead of over-the-counter drugs.
Many dietary supplements, however, are more akin to
drugs than to frozen green beans and should be
manufactured to pharmaceutical standards.

"It is now up to Congress to authorize the FDA to
require supplement producers, when appropriate, to
meet quality standards established for over-the-counter
drugs.

"It is also important to note that today's FDA action
does not assure that supplement ingredients are safe
or effective--only that they do not contain dangerous
impurities and the dosage amounts promised on the label are accurate."